Vehicle-body.



110.816,782. PATBNTED APR. a, 190e.

D. W. GONNBLL.'

Y VEHICLE BODY. APrLIouIoN HILED JAN. 1.a. 1905.

UNITED STATES ATFNT OFFICE.

CARRIAGE COMPANY, OF OF ILLINOIS.

MOLINE, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION VEHICLE-BODY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 3, 1906.

Application led January I9, 1905. Serial No. 241,860.

To @ZZ wiz/0m, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID W. CONNELL, a citizen of the United line, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Bodies and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willl enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. j

This invention, relating to vehicle-bodies, has for its main object to provide a body of great strength, rigidity, and durability combined with simplicity of construction, having its parts so interlocked and braced as to maintain the body as strong after long usage as when it leaves the shop and put together without nails, screws, plugs, or glue, such as usually employed for securing the parts of ordinary vehicle-bodies together and which frequently become loose, weaken the body, and mar its exterior finish.

To this end the invention embraces a novel and exceedingly effective construction of the body as a whole, which in comparison with many vehicle-bodies is practically indestructible, improved means for interlocking and bracing the parts and for reinforcing and strengthening the side and end boards, improved connection between the side and end boards and sills or floor, whereby the said boards are firmly clamped to and braced on the sills, while the joints are exceedingly tight and protected against moisture Without the need of glue, white lead, or the like for filling the joints, elimination of visible and projecting braces and connections, such as the usual vertical brackets or braces along the sides, corner-irons, &c. g and also elimination of all nails, screws, or short lugs for securing the parts together, as well as glue or similar material for filling the crevices and reinforcing such fastenings which are subject to the objections above noted.

The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and then particularly pointed out and dened in the claims annexed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle-body embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the front corners thereof look- States, residing at Mo-l By reference to Fig. l it is observable that.

the body presents both inside and outside a plain smooth or even appearance, being free from the usual visible braces, brackets, an-

gle-irons, and the like, which make objectionable projections and form corners for accumulation of dust and dirt.

Let A denote the bottom frame, comprising the side and end sills; B, the vertical side boards or panels,- C, the front end board or panel, and D the back end board, shown as a drop end-gate or hinged tail-board.

The u per edges of the side boards B and preferably the upper edge of the front board C also are protected by continuous strips E of channel-iron or steel or other metal, which clamp or embrace said edges, protect them from the Weather or moisture, reinforce and strengthen the boards, prevent warping and splitting, and also protect the edges from defacement or injury. In the case of the sideboards, which embrace the ends of the front panel between them, the channel-irons extend along and cover their front ends or edges also, protecting them in the same manner. These channel-irons are secured on the top edges of the boards by bolts F, passing vertically through the boards and to the bottoms of the sills. Said bolts serve not only to clamp the strips to the boards, but also to clamp the boards themselves firmly to the sills. In an ordinarylength of body five bolts are a desirable number for each side board, though this matter may be left to the judgment of the wagonbuilder, according to the necessities of the case. The heads of the bolts are preferably countersunk flush with the channel-irons, and then fastening-nuts are tapped on their lower threaded ends against the bottoms of the sills.

The front or down-bent parts of the side channel-irons are clamped to the front ends Fig. I is a vertical cross-sec- IOO of the side boards by concealed eyebolts G, extending from the lower ends of said irons through grooves cut in the bottom edges of said boards and having their eyes inclosing the vertical bolts F nearest the front ends of the side-boards, making concealed connections of great strength and. simplicity.

The joints between the front and side boards and the sill are a noteworthy and important feature. From Figs. 2 and 4 it will be observed that the bottom edges of the boards are beveled or inclined downward from their outer to their inner faces, and these beveled edges fit in counterformed lonitudinal rabbets or grooves in the sills. With these joints the effect of the vertical bolts F clamping the boards to the sills is to constantly increase the locking tendency of these parts with each other. The tighter the bolts are drawn the harder the pressure upon the bevel and the more firmly are the boards clamped on the sills and the tighter are the joints.V By this construction it is practical to make the joints between the sills and boards without glue or any similar substitute to protect from moisture. Moreover, the joints form a rigid brace for the boards, and, without anything except the bolts, the bed presents a firmer stronger construction than in any heretofore made with glue, screws, nails, plugs, or other accepted mode of build- The front board or end panel C may have its top edge protected by a channel-iron, as aforesaid, or it may be left unprotected, according to the desire of the builder. In either event it is clamped to its sill by the vertical bolts F, as stated.

The side boards B are held firmly against the ends of the front panel by a rod or long bolt H, passing from side to side of the body and embedded or partially concealed in a longitudinal groove or channel in the front panel, preferably in its inner face. This rod or bolt has an ordinary bolt-head on one end and a fastening-nut on the other, which when tightened holds the sides and front together with a maximum of strength. The embedding or partial embedding of the bolt in a groove in the front panel allows the vertical bolts F to pass through the panel and clamp it to the sill.

Taking up the back end board D, this may be of similar construction to the front panel and secured in the same manner but it is desirable in vehicle-bodies of this kind to have the back board hinged to drop down, and I have therefore shown the same as a drop end or tail-gate, as before stated. This tail-gate is protected along its top edge and ends by a continuous strip of channel-iron I in the same manner as the side boards. The channeliron being clamped over the top and ends of the gate perfectly reinforces the same, prevents warping or splitting of the material,

makes a stronger construction than any heretofore devised, and affords protection for the gate during its whole life. The ends of the channel-iron are clamped to the ends of the board by countersunk headed bolts or stovebolts J, concealed in the board and engaging concealed nuts therein. The portion of the channel-iron which clamps the top edge of the gate may be secured thereto by bolts K, running vertically through the board, which is the strongest construction, or by screws or by stove-bolts engaging concealed nuts, as at the down-bent ends of said channel-iron.

The construction thus described provides a substantial vehicle-body with a strength and durability measured or limited only by the strength of the materials used.

l/Vhile reference has been made to the sides and ends as boards, presuming the body to be made of wood, as usual, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited to any particular materials, but is applicable to metal or other bodies as well, while modifications in details may also be made within the scope of the invention, which is defined in the following claims.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. A vehicle-body having, in combination, a bottom frame, side and end panels mounted thereon having lower beveled edges resting in counterformed grooves in the bottom frame, fastening-bolts passing through the panels and bottom frame and clamping the former on the latter, and a bolt embedded in a longitudinal groove in the end panel and holding the side panels against the ends thereof.

2. Avehicle-body having, in combination, a bottom frame, side panels mounted thereon, metal strips secured on the top and end edges of said panels, fastening-bolts passing through the strips and panels and bottom frame and binding these parts together, and concealed eyebolts having their eyes inclosing the fastening-bolts near the ends of said panels and fastening the said strips to the end edges of said panels.

8. Avehicle-body having, in combination, a bottom frame, side panels mounted thereon, an end panel between the side panels, fastening-bolts passing through the panels and bottom frame and clamping the former on the latter, and a bolt passing through the side panels and embedded in a groove in the end panel holding said side panels in place against the ends of the end panel.

4. A vehicle-body having, in combination, a bottom frame, side panels mounted thereon, an end panel between the side panels, metal strips on the top edges of the side panels bent down on the end edges thereof, fasteningbolts passing through said strips and side panels and bottom frame, and fasteningbolts passing through the end panel and bottom frame, concealed eyebolts binding the down-bent parts of said strips to the end edges of the panel,

edges of the side panels, the eyes Of said eyebolts inelosing the fastening-bolts in the side panels nearest the ends thereof, and a bolt embedded in a longitudinal groove in the end panel and passing through the side panels, holding the latter against the ends of the end anel. P 5. In a Vehicle-body, a corner construction comprising, in combination, a sill, a panel mounted thereon, a strip on the top and end a fastening-bolt passing panel and sill, and an eyebolt binding the strip to the end of the panel and having its eye inolosing the aforesaid fastening-bolt.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence Of tWo Witnesses.

DAVID W. CON N ELL.

through the strip,

Witnesses:

CHAs. H. POPE, FRED H. COOPER. 

